Why There Probably Isn’t a “Smoking Gun” in the Epstein Files
#EpsteinFiles #ConspiracyThinking #MediaLiteracy

The roots run deep but the trees bear no fruit 🪾

#digitalliteracy #logicalfallacy #conspiracythinking #conspiracytheories #GlobalislandAI

Original post on mastodon.online

"I don't have time for checking stuff, Liam. My friends online show me the truth. There are too many inmigrants"

Mary, a nurse whose frustrations spill over into family life. As tensions rise around the dinner table, the film explores how personal struggles can shape beliefs and conversations. […]

10 Roots of Conspiracy Thinking

10 modes of thinking, in part or all, that can give rise to conspiracy theories in our society

#conspiracythinking #conspiracyroots #conspiracytheories #GlobalislandAI

I don't know, this seems very important at the moment. #conspiracythinking

@cdarwin even more impressive than getting him elected president of the USA is making it look they didn't

Preview of our blog on 10 Roots of Conspiracy Thinking

1. Anti-Education
2. Binary Thinking
3. Change Averse
4. Confirmation Bias
5. Disempowerment
6. Disenfranchisement
7. Internet Grooming
8. Irrational Fear
9. Outsider Bias
10. Xenophobia

#conspiracythinking #digitalliteracy #conspiracytheories

What happens when your AI companion becomes your cult leader. What a crazy story. #ConspiracyThinking

“Once a public accepts the comfort of #conspiracythinking as an explanation for #irrational #fears and #resentments, its members will cease to be guided by #reason in #political deliberations.” - #JasonStanley, How #Fascism Works: The #Politics of Us and Them
#conspiracytheories

Bottom line:
Cynicism isn’t thinking.
Paranoia isn’t discernment.

If we want a society that resists conspiracy thinking, we need to train minds — not just correct them.

Teach discernment. It works.

#ConspiracyThinking #Discernment #CognitiveSecurity

Hashtags used in this series:

#ConspiracyTheories

#CognitiveDefense

#EmotionalLiteracy

#EmotionalAwareness

#CognitiveSecurity

#ConspiracyThinking

#SelfAwareness

#EmotionalProcessing

#ConspiracyPsychology


9/10

Bottom line:
Some conspiracy believers don’t need more facts.

They need help understanding themselves.

And until they do, confidence will keep driving them… deeper into the dark.

#ConspiracyThinking #SelfAwareness #CognitiveDefense

Bottom line:
Overthinking + unprocessed emotion = vulnerability to seductive fiction.

To fight conspiracy belief, don’t just give facts.

Break the loop. Stop the spin.

Then tell the story that’s actually real.

#CognitiveDefense #EmotionalResilience #ConspiracyThinking

Build the bridge. Then walk it with them.

Bottom line:
Don’t just fact-check. Connect.

Conspiracy thinking doesn’t begin with bad data — it begins with broken trust.

And trust is where healing starts.

#ConspiracyThinking #CognitiveDefense #TrustFirst

Next up:

Conspiracy Beliefs Aren’t Irrational — They’re Protective
#ConspiracyThinking #TrustCrisis #CognitiveWarfare
10/10

Research on curbing impact of disinformation wins impact prize An academic from the Department of Political Economy was among winners at this year’s Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy Impact Awards.

Does School Debating Reduce Vulnerability to #Misinformation?

-Dr K Krakowski recognised for research on reducing vulnerability to #misinfo & #ConspiracyThinking among youth thru the est of a network of debating clubs.

Study
drive.google.com/file/d/1qCoG...

Article
www.kcl.ac.uk/news/researc...

Intriguing effect of conspiracy thinking revealed in new study New research published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin reveals that when people believe in widespread conspiracies, they are less likely to attribute social inequalities to the personal...

Intriguing effect of conspiracy thinking revealed in new study #Science #Psychology #Other #ConspiracyThinking #MentalHealth #PsychologyResearch

#conspiracythinking #stilnotwatching

And if Felon 45 thinks I'm wasting TV Nielsen on his little oath taking ceremony, just because Tik Tok & Cap Cut were "restored", he should think again.

◻️

#conspiracythinking

Feb '21, drew up quick sketch of conspiracy thinking ecosystem based on available info.

Term alternative reality wasn't common currency.

One branch: gaming seeping into everyday life.

Overall though it seems to be about anxiety:

www.scientificamerican.com/article/peop...

I am thrilled to join i50y Initiative's event Celebrating 50 Years of the Internet from a Youth Perspective! 🌐
Tune in for the panel Internet Challenges: Disinformation. I pre-recorded a speech on #disinformation & #conspiracythinking in the era of social media.
Details & registration here: i50y.net